A/N: Hey, guys. Wow, second chapter and you're still reading? I love you guys. This is dedicated to everyone who read the first chapter. So, I hope you didn't mind it. Keep reading, I promise that it'll get better. This chapter is a little bit vague, because I can't do the next chapter before doing this one. Please R&R!
Marie was back to her post of teacher in Class Crescent Moon at Shibusen, and she should have been happier than ever. She had a class who was free from the stress that they had been put under because of Arachnophobia, Medusa and the Kishin, and she was teaching alongside her new flame of six weeks, Doctor Stein. However, today wasn't like that.
She was feeling terribly lethargic, she felt sick most of the time and couldn't stand for very long without feeling faint. What was worse was, Stein was out in the courtyard settling some differences between Soul, Black*Star and Kid, who, as usual, had his twin pistols, Liz and Patti, in tow. So, Marie was only completely familiar with Maka and Tsubaki and the class. She knew Ox, Kilik and their friends, but the last thing they wanted to do was talk about how bad their teacher was feeling.
Maka and Tsubaki must have noticed Marie's loud sighing, so they went to investigate. Marie was sitting at the desk at the front of the class, her head resting heavily on her hand. Maka and Tsubaki walked down with their textbooks.
"Maka, Tsubaki, what seems to be the problem?" Marie asked, her tone lacklustre.
"We were just wondering what this question me-" Tsubaki was cut off.
"What's the matter, Marie-sensei?" Maka asked, walking around to her teacher who was obviously in some kind of distress.
"Maka-chan!" Tsubaki said. Tsubaki was a warm, inviting person, but she wasn't one to ask questions like that to her superiors. Just before Marie went to answer, the chimes which signalled the end of lesson rang, causing the children to all file out for lunch break.
"Oh, it's... it's nothing, Maka. I'm just not feeling very well, that's all." Marie said, trying to put on a happy face.
"Are you sure, Marie-sensei?" Tsubaki asked, feeling more obliged to ask as Marie had replied.
"Well..." Marie turned to watch the last student walk out the door, and began once again, "No, I'm not sure at all, Tsubaki." Marie looked up at Maka and Tsubaki, her uncovered eye welling up with tears. Maka and Tsubaki pulled up chairs to comfort her. Out of all the Shibusen teachers, Marie was the most approachable, and was the favourite teacher of a lot of the female students.
"Marie-sensei, don't cry." Maka said, placing a friendly arm around Marie's shoulder.
"I can't help it, Maka." Marie replied.
"But why are you crying?" Tsubaki said.
"Well... I just made the decision to stay at Shibusen, because I love working with you children, and then I start feeling sick all the time. Maybe somebody is punishing me." Marie looked down, sadly.
"No, no, Marie-sensei, that's not what it's like at all." Maka replied.
"Yeah, why would anyone want to punish you? You're wonderful, Marie-sensei." Tsubaki replied, her voice soft.
"And you're a great teacher." Maka added.
"And you're so pretty." Tsubaki said. As females, they knew exactly what other crying females wanted to hear. Marie looked up, sniffed, and smiled.
"Th-thankyou, Tsubaki. And you too, Maka. You're excellent students." Marie said, smiling as she hugged the two teenage girls who had comforted her.
"No problem, Marie-sensei." Maka said. As she and Tsubaki turned around, they were confronted by a silver-haired man sitting on a patchwork upholstered desk chair.
"Maka, Tsubaki, what are you still doing here?" Stein asked.
"Oh, we were just talking to Marie-sensei, she said that she was feeling sick." Maka said, oblivious to Marie shaking her head behind her. As Maka turned to face Marie, she saw her shaking her head and her face turned to worry.
"I mean... we were talking about... homework?" Maka lied, nervously.
"Your soul is getting agitated." Stein remarked.
"Oh, look at that, I have to go and meet up with Soul, goodbye Doctor Stein, Marie-sensei, let's go, Tsubaki!" Maka fretted, grabbing Tsubaki by a wrist and walking out of the classroom. Tsubaki smiled sweetly and waved to the two teachers as she was dragged by an unusually strong Maka outside.
I guess embarrassment will do that to a person.
Marie dropped her head into her hands. Stein shut the door to the classroom and rolled backwards over to Marie.
"What's wrong, Marie?" Stein asked, concernedly.
"Nothing, Stein. Just a little headache, that's all. Really." Marie said.
"Marie, don't lie to me." Stein said, softly.
"Really. I'm fine. See?" Marie said, bolting her head up and smiling overzealously at Stein. She stood up and walked past him, but nearly tripped over herself as she began to feel faint. Stein stood up and swiftly rolled the chair under Marie, pushed on her shoulders and made her sit down.
"Stein, let me go!" Marie said, her tone both annoyed and relieved at her new sitting position. If she'd walked more than two steps out of the classroom door, she would have fallen in a heap. Stein placed his hands on the top of his chair and began to wheel Marie out of the classroom.
"Stein! I'm not a paraplegic, I can walk." Marie said, crossing her arms in exasperation.
"Judging by that last display, I don't think you can walk. Faculty room?" Stein replied, still pushing Marie through the hallways.
"People are staring at me, Stein." Marie said, glaring up at the slightly grinning scientist. They passed Maka and Tsubaki, who had caught up with Soul and Black*Star, who were looking worse for wear, and Kid, Liz and Patti. Soul looked at Stein pushing Marie through the hallways.
"Hey, Stein, when's my turn on the chair?" Soul yelled. Maka glared at him.
"Maka... CHOP!" Maka brought down the unusually unforgiving spine of her "Advanced Guide to Soul Perception" textbook in the middle of Soul's head. Tsubaki, Liz and Patti tried to stifle giggles, but let their laughter flow once they saw Soul's red eyes open again.
"Maka!" Soul exclaimed, barely conscious. Maka glared at him.
"Leave them alone. That's what friends do for other friends, Soul." Maka frowned at Soul.
"Geez, Maka, calm down." Soul replied. Meanwhile, Marie was still disgruntled at the fact that she was being pushed along the hallways of Shibusen like she had some sort of problem.
"Stein, I'll get up and walk, really." Marie said, digging her heels into the floor and stopping the chair. As she went to stand up, she felt another wave of dizziness come over her. The room began to spin.
"Marie?" Stein asked as Marie sat back down.
"Just take me to the faculty room." Marie said, reluctant in defeat. Stein smiled slightly, realising his triumph. He decided to spare Marie embarrassment and took the back route to the faculty room. As Stein rolled Marie into the room, Sid walked up to him.
"What are you doing, Stein?" Sid asked.
"Marie's not well." Stein replied, placing his hand around Marie's waist and moving her onto the couch.
"Thank you, Stein." Marie said, sighing as she lied down on the couch. She felt terrible. Stein sat down on his chair near Marie's head.
"Marie, why don't you go home?" Sid asked.
"Because I go home with Stein." she replied, propping herself up slightly.
"Really? Do you two live near each other?" Sid asked, sitting on the couch opposite to them. Stein and Marie glanced at each other, their faces puzzled.
"I could have sworn that your memory was preserved when you were stabbed by the Goddess of Freedom." Stein glanced, leaning back in his chair. Sid continued to look perplexed.
"Sid, we live together." Marie said, shaking her head in disbelief.
"Oh, sorry. I'm quite forgetful. That's the kind of man I was." Sid replied.
"I'm sure you were." Stein replied. Marie felt a thumping pain in her head.
"Stein, do you have to speak so loudly?" Marie said, closing her eyes.
"I'm not speaking that loudly, Marie." Stein said, scratching his head.
"I'm sure you are." Marie said, turning over and facing the back of the couch, falling asleep.
"She shouldn't be here." Sid said.
"I know. I'll take care of her." Stein replied. Sid left the faculty room and headed back to the main Shibusen hallways. Stein looked at Marie with concern. She didn't seem like herself. He slipped off his lab coat and covered Marie with it.
He pulled the hair away from Marie's face. She stirred lightly and grabbed his hand, cuddling it close to her chest. Stein chuckled slightly and dextrously removed his hand.
It seemed Doctor Stein was flying solo for the afternoon's classes.
A/N: I apologise that this chapter wasn't very eventful. I tend to have a problem with my fics moving too fast, so I'll probably be doing one eventful chapter, one less eventful chapter, etc. So, sorry for this, but otherwise my story arcs fall to bleurgh. That is a word. Thanks for reading!